Episode 52: A Morning Unlike Any Other

The very person who caused all the commotion and put Hoshizora and Hina-chan through such a hassle was probably the first to go to bed yesterday.

And right now, she’s still sleeping in my arms.
I wonder when she started sleeping like this.

Hikari has terrible sleeping habits and often falls out of bed.
I thought it would be dangerous if she fell headfirst, so I started sleeping like this to make sure she doesn’t slip away.

　True to her name, Hikari is a warm person, both in body and spirit. Living together, she always acts with my best interests in mind and encourages me to keep trying.

　However, we sometimes argue because we’re both too open with each other.
　I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but being with Hikari means my emotions fluctuate wildly, which is exhausting; it makes me feel like I did when I was little and spent time with Hoshizora.

　Up until now, hiding my feelings had been the norm, so clashing with Hikari drains my energy.
I’ve come to realise just how exhausting it is to face someone and clash with them.

‘She’d be cute if she’d just keep quiet…’

I stroke Hikari’s cheek.
If she gets too noisy, perhaps I should just silence her with a kiss.

With that thought, I touch Hikari’s lips.

　I don’t know what came over me, but I moved closer to Hikari and pressed my lips against the spot my finger had been touching.

　I hope this will quiet her down a bit…

　No, Hikari is fine just the way she is.

　Hikari opened her eyes and our gazes met.

　Eh—?
A strange sweat breaks out on my palms, fearing she might have noticed what I’d just done.

‘I told you I like you, didn’t I? Doing things like that makes me think you feel the same way too.’

She speaks to me with a terribly serious expression.
I think it’s unfair of Hikari to talk with such a serious face at times like this, when she’s usually always messing about.

“No, wait…”

Before I could deny it, Hikari silenced me with a kiss.
A wave of heat flooded my mouth.
I could have refused it, but I let it happen.

A heat I could never have imagined from Hikari’s petite frame surged through me, making my head spin.

My breathing grew shallow, and as my focus shifted entirely to our lips, nothing remained but pure pleasure.

　When Hikari pulled away from me, the heat I’d been feeling vanished, and I found myself feeling a little lonely.

“I’m serious.”

The moment I heard those words, I could feel my face flush all at once.

It was a morning that left me anxious about whether I could really go on living with Hikari from now on.